Department for Transport

Public Transport

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they ensure that all groups who use public transport have equal access to public transport and that none are discriminated against, including the elderly and those with young children.

baroness sugg: The Government is committed to making the transport system accessible to all users, including the elderly and those with young children. The draft Accessibility Action Plan, published for consultation last year, set out a number of steps we will be taking across transport modes. In addition, the Equality Act 2010 makes provision for operators of public transport services to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate passengers who share protected characteristics, which includes age.

Merchant Shipping: Cybercrime

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the cyber risks to merchant shipping (1) in UK ports, (2)in UK waters, and (3) globally.

baroness sugg: The Government continues to assess both existing and emerging cyber threats to the maritime industry, both in relation to UK-flagged vessels and UK ports, as well as the evolving threats globally. The Department for Transport has issued Codes of Practice for both UK-flagged vessels and ports which are tools aimed at making industry aware of the threats and the impacts they could have on their business, as well as providing practical and simple management solutions which, when properly applied, can provide an effective defence against cyber attacks. The Government also takes a leading role within the international maritime and security community, through such organizations as the International Maritime Organization, to develop awareness and promote best practice not only to improve defence but to encourage better detection when such attacks occur.

Merchant Shipping: Cybercrime

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have issued advice to merchant shipping companies about the level of cyber awareness expected of ships entering UK ports.

baroness sugg: The Department for Transport has issued Codes of Practice on cyber security for both UK-flagged ships and UK ports. These documents, which are available to everyone, provide a management framework intended to support industry in recognizing and addressing their own vulnerabilities, and to encourage them to have in place procedures that safeguard their businesses from current and emerging threats. We work closely with the wider international maritime community to promote best practice and expertise, especially through the International Maritime Organization, who themselves have recently published guidelines on maritime cyber risk management, which will also be incorporated into their International Safety Management Code in 2021.

National Maritime Information Centre

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Cabinet Office intends to fund the £4.5 million annual cost of running the National Maritime Information Centre and Joint Maritime Operations Centre; and if not, how they will ensure that departments involved pay the requisite amount.

baroness sugg: The National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC) and Joint Maritime Operations Coordination Centre (JMOCC) are currently funded by annual contributions from the major government stakeholders, Border Force, the Department for Transport, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Marine Management Organisation, the National Crime Agency, the Home Office (Office for Security and Counter Terrorism) and the Police. In addition to the financial contributions, a number of these stakeholders also directly sponsor posts at the NMIC and JMOCC. The Royal Navy supports the NMIC-JMOCC estate, along with other infrastructure. The long-term funding for both organisations will be considered as part of next year’s planned Spending Review.

Government Departments: Shipping

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to establish a post with executive authority over the maritime craft of those departments with an interest in coastal littoral activity; and if so, whether that post would lead on procurement of a common fleet of maritime craft in the future.

baroness sugg: The Joint Maritime Operations Coordination Centre (JMOCC), established very recently, in October 2017, optimises and coordinates the deployment of UK maritime assets across government agencies, including the seagoing craft owned by Border Force, the Royal Navy, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities. This is achieved by maintaining a detailed picture of those assets in terms of type, location and availability along with a comprehensive overview of the threats likely to occur in UK waters and access to near real-time monitoring systems. The methodology has already led to successful inventions in respect of incidents ranging from criminality to safety. Additionally, the Joint Governance Board for the JMOCC and the National Maritime Information Centre supports stakeholders’ decision-making processes in relation to the deployment of resources; as such there are currently no plans to procure a ‘common fleet of maritime craft’.

Rolling Stock: North of England

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Northern rail franchise is still intended to result in the withdrawal of all Pacer trains by the end of 2019.

baroness sugg: Northern Rail will oversee the complete removal of Pacer trains by the end of 2019.

Clitheroe-Hellifield Railway Line

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of proposals from Ribble Valley Council to reopen the railway line from Clitheroe to Hellifield for passenger trains.

baroness sugg: The Government is working with local authorities and other partners to identify the best new rail projects that can unlock new housing and economic growth, ease overcrowding, meet future demand and offer good value for money. In line with our devolution policies, proposals for additional passenger services between Clitheroe and Hellifield (beyond the infrequent service currently provided on Sundays) need first to secure the support of a local body or promoter to undertake studies of the passenger demand, train service options, economic benefits, capital and any operating subsidy requirements before the addition of such services to a franchise agreement could be considered by the DfT and the Rail North consortium of local authorities, who co-manage the relevant local rail franchise (Northern). We will consider proposals on a case by case basis, based on the economic benefits and business case put forward by local partners. Promoters of new lines are directed to the document published by the Campaign for Better Transport “Expanding the Railways”. Endorsed by the Department, this provides advice and guidance to organisations seeking to open railway lines and stations.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Innovate UK

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what processes are used by Innovate UK to confirm that all parties listed in a project application have consented to their inclusion in that project.

lord henley: Applicants must individually agree to their personal data and some specific, commercially sensitive project outputs being shared in exchange for being awarded grant. The lead participant cannot sign up to this on an organisation’s behalf, and without that buy-in the project cannot proceed. Similarly, the applicant briefing events and documentation clearly state that an application must show genuine evidence of collaboration.

Innovate UK

lord fox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recourse a business has if it finds that it has been falsely cited by a third party in a bid application to Innovate UK.

lord henley: Innovate UK will act speedily to review the allegation and if found to be true, they would pull the application and mark it ineligible.

Electrical Safety

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to convene a roundtable of representatives of Ebay, Amazon and Electrical Safety First toseek a resolution tothe problem of unregulated sales of sub-standard and counterfeit electrical goods online.

lord henley: The Government regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including online sales platforms, to discuss the issues caused by the sale of sub-standard and counterfeit goods. While there are no immediate plans for a roundtable with the parties listed, officials in the Intellectual Property Office are considering options for addressing the problem.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Sudan: Political Prisoners

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Sudan has forced recently released political detainees to take part in negotiations with that government as a condition of their release.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are not aware of individuals being required to take part in negotiations as a condition of their release. However, we continue to make clear to the Government of Sudan our expectation that all detainees will be treated in accordance with international standards. This includes ensuring their unconditional release if there are no charges brought against them.

Syria: Islamic State

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Joint Statement of Guiding Principles for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISISwhich saysthat "only a few pockets of land remain under [ISIS] control in Syria"; and whether the UK has any plans to withdraw from the coalition.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government supports the vision set out in the Joint Statement of Guiding Principles. At the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition this month, the Minister of State for the Middle East expressed this Government's support.As the Guiding Principles note '…our work is not done. ISIS/Da'esh remains a serious threat to the stability of the region and our common security.' That is why the UK will continue to play a leading role in the Global Coalition. Daesh remains a threat. In order to protect UK citizens at home and abroad, we must continue our efforts to secure the lasting defeat of Daesh in Syria and Iraq.We are working to secure Daesh's lasting defeat by working with legitimate local authorities to ensure a stable, prosperous and united future for affected communities in both Syria and Iraq. Daesh must not be allowed to re-emerge.

Syria: Islamic State

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they provided to the Global Coalition to DefeatISIS in Syria between 2015 and the latest date for which figures are available; and what was (1) the cost, and (2) the nature, of that assistance.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK plays a leading role in the Global Coalition against Daesh.Our military involvement in the Global Coalition is Operation SHADER. We do not disaggregate the costs of that operation between Iraq and Syria (the costs of military operations are published in the Ministry of Defence's Annual Accounts, available online).In Syria, our military role in the Global Coalition is limited to air strikes to support partner forces on the ground. Since 2015, the UK launched 315 air strikes in Syria as part of the Coalition campaign.We are also playing a leading role in the humanitarian response, including funding to stabilise areas liberated from Daesh. In October 2017, we announced a further £10 million to respond to displacement in North East Syria, including funding to remove mines.

Syria: Islamic State

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government on whatlegal basisthey participate in the Global Coalition to DefeatISIS in Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK's legal basis for military action in Iraq is the consent of the Government of Iraq. The UK's legal basis for military action in Syria is the collective self-defence of Iraq. Daesh continue to pose a threat to Iraq both within and from over the Syrian border and therefore our legal basis for military action remains extant.

South Africa: Corruption

lord hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they (1) have contacted, or (2) plan tocontact, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in relation to Lord Hain's referral of Hogan Lovells LLP to the SRA over allegations that Hogan Lovells LLP was complicit in covering up corruption in South Africa.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is an independent regulator. They have confirmed receipt of Lord Hain’s letter regarding Hogan Lovells LLP.

Syria: Armed Conflict

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the situation in (1) Afrin, and (2) Eastern Ghouta, in Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are closely following developments in Afrin and wider north-western Syria. A combination of Turkish-backed Syrian opposition forces and Turkish troops have advanced into the border areas of Afrin province as part of an operation launched on 20 January. There have been airstrikes, clashes between Turkish backed forces and the Kurdish YPG militia, and there are reports of civilian casualties. We are aware of reports of the deployment of pro-regime militia to the Afrin area since 20 February. We are concerned about the potential for further violence. We have been in close contact with Turkey and are calling for de-escalation and the protection of civilians in Afrin. While recognising Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders, it remains in our shared interest to focus on achieving a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians.The Assad regime's brutal siege of Eastern Ghouta, coupled with escalating bombardment over the past week and reports of chemicals weapons use, is causing unprecedented levels of suffering. Non-governmental organisations, including Medecins Sans Frontieres, report over 500 civilians killed in Eastern Ghouta since 18 February, and many more injured. We welcome the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council resolution 2401 on 24 February which calls for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow for delivery of humanitarian aid and medical evacuations, which are urgently needed across Syria, but particularly in Eastern Ghouta. Those with influence over the regime must now ensure the ceasefire is implemented in full.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which takes place on 10 December.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Every year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office commemorates Human Rights Day (10 December) which is the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its diplomatic network will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights using a variety of public diplomacy efforts to promote, defend and champion human rights. This includes, as set out in my statement at the Human Rights Council, the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy spending approximately £10.6 million in 2017/18 to support 110 projects in over 60 countries. The UK remains committed to the universal principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

South Africa: Foreign Relations

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what practical steps they intend to take to strengthen bilateral relations with South Africa, including UK ministerial meetings with new President, Cyril Ramaphosa.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister spoke to President Ramaphosa on 18 February. They committed to work closely together to help build a more secure and prosperous future for both our countries. The Prime Minster also invited President Ramaphosa to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April and looks forward to meeting him there. The High Commission in Pretoria is in regular contact with the South African government on a wide range of issues.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ascertain the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland on (1) the current political impasse over the restoration of a Northern Ireland Executive, and (2) the implications of leaving the European Union; and whether those issues will be discussed through the establishment of a Civic Forum, as provided for under the Good Friday Agreement.

lord duncan of springbank: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and her Ministerial team regularly meet the people of Northern Ireland, and with business and civic leaders, to hear their views about a range of issues. But we are clear that this is no substitute for a fully functional power-sharing Executive in place to represent the people of Northern Ireland and to advocate for the issues that matter to them.The Government is fully committed to ensuring that, as the UK leaves the EU, the unique interests of Northern Ireland are protected and advanced. That is why we continue to work towards the resumption of stable devolved government. The UK Government will continue to advocate for Northern Ireland’s interests and needs at the heart of government.The Belfast Agreement, the 1998 Northern Ireland Act, and all subsequent political agreements are clear that decisions about the Civic Forum are a devolved matter for the Executive and the Assembly.

Northern Ireland Government

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they planto publish a consultation on legacy issues pertaining to Northern Ireland; if so, when;and whether theyintend to seek the views of the public in Northern Ireland on the appropriateness of establishing the legacy bodies envisaged in the Stormont House Agreement.

lord duncan of springbank: As our Northern Ireland manifesto at the last Election made clear, the Government remains committed to the implementation of the legacy institutions in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. We believe that taken together they have the potential to provide better outcomes for victims and survivors in a way that allows society ultimately to move forward. The bodies will be under legal obligations to operate in ways that are fair, balanced and proportionate. Our manifesto also set out our intention ‘to consult publicly on the details of how the new structures would work in practice’. This will be an open consultation in which all views will be welcomed and considered carefully. The Government wants to consult soon, with the aim of building support and confidence in the new legacy institutions from across the community.

Department of Health and Social Care

Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention

baroness corston: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what dates the Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention met in the last five years.

lord o'shaughnessy: Meetings of the Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention held over the last five years are shown in the following table. YearDateType of meeting201330 January 2013Full Committee Meeting15 May 2013Country Recommendations Meeting8 November 2013Prevention Guidelines Meeting (Methodology)11 December 2013Prevention Guidelines Meeting20144 March 2014Treatment Guidelines Meeting2 June 2014Country Recommendations Meeting201512 January 2015Prevention Guidelines Meeting5 March 2015Treatment Guidelines Meeting24 June 2015Full Committee Meeting24 November 2015Prevention Guidelines Meeting20167 June 2016Country Recommendations Meeting16 September 2016Country Recommendations Working Group22 November 2016Prevention Guidelines Meeting201710 August 2017Country Recommendations Meeting14 September 2017Personal protection issues Meeting20182 February 2018Prevention Guidelines Meeting

Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progressthey have made towards implementing the provisions of the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017, specifically in relation to remuneration in respect of special medicinal products.

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultationsthey have held with interested parties regarding implementation of the provisions of the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017 relating to special medicinal products.

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government when proposalson thelegal requirements for the provision of information relating to the sale and purchase of health service products used in the NHS under the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017 will be brought forward.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government ran two public consultations implementing the powers in the Health Service Medical Supplies (Costs) Act 2017. We consulted on changes to the statutory scheme regulations for branded medicines and on new regulations for the provision of information about health service products. We are finalising both sets of regulations which will be laid and enter into force in spring 2018.The information Regulations include requirements in relation to special medicinal products which will ensure that the Government obtains information from all manufacturers and importers. This information will make the reimbursement arrangements for the most commonly used special medicinal products more robust.Separately, the Government is considering how to implement its powers in the 2017 Act on the way it reimburses special medicinal products. Any proposals will be subject to consultation with relevant stakeholders.

Measles

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases of measles there were in England in (1) 2016, and (2) 2017; whether there was a drop in vaccination rates in the UK in 2017; what action they are taking to maintain World Health Organisation measles elimination status; and how they are working with European partners to tackle the recent surge in measles cases in Europe.

lord o'shaughnessy: The total number of measles cases in England was 531 in 2016 and figures for 2017 will be published in April 2018. Annual vaccine coverage statistics for England for 2016/17 indicate uptake of the first dose measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at two years of age was 91.6%, a 0.3% decrease from 2015/16; the first dose MMR at five years of age reached the 95% World Health Organization (WHO) target, a 0.2% increase from 2015/16; and the second dose MMR at five years was 87.6%, a 0.6% decrease from 2015/16. In adopting the European Vaccine Action Plan 2015–2020, the United Kingdom, along with all 53 Member States of the WHO European Region, has committed to eliminating measles and rubella as one of the Region’s priority immunisation goals. In 2017, Public Health England convened a multi-stakeholder measles and rubella elimination group, to develop a UK-wide strategy with key recommendations for action, to ensure elimination will be sustained.

Cheltenham Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to reintroduce a 24-hour Accident and Emergency service at Cheltenham General Hospital.

lord o'shaughnessy: This is a matter for the local National Health Service who are best placed to understand the healthcare needs of their local population. The Government is clear, however, that any changes should meet the Government’s four tests for service change: they should have support from general practitioner commissioners, be based on clinical evidence, demonstrate public and patient engagement, and consider patient choice.Any proposals for urgent care developed by the local NHS as part of the Gloucestershire Sustainability and Transformation Partnership will be subject to full public consultation led by the local clinical commissioning group later this year. The Department is advised that the local NHS remains committed to continued dialogue with local stakeholders on the urgent and emergency care offer as a whole to ensure that patients receive the safest, highest quality care and the best possible health outcomes into the future.

Dental Health

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of the effects of drinking fruit tea on dental health.

lord o'shaughnessy: The third edition of Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention, published by Public Health England, includes fruit teas (but not camomile) in the list of extrinsic sources of acid that may lead to erosive tooth wear. Therefore, individuals are advised to keep acidic drinks to mealtimes and limit the number of fruit drinks to no more than one a day.Delivering better oral health is an evidence based toolkit for dental teams to support them when giving preventive advice and treatment for their patients. This resource has been acknowledged by the European platform for better oral health in Europe as good practice and adopted by Wales.A copy of the third edition of Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention is attached.



Delivering better oral health
(PDF Document, 3.65 MB)

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust: Vacancies

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many vacancies existed for (1) nurses, (2) junior doctors, (3) doctors, and (4) consultants, in the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, in each year since 2010.

lord o'shaughnessy: The data is not available in the format requested.NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics. The following table contains full time equivalent vacancies for medical and dental, and registered nurses and midwives as at September 2017, the latest data available, in Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.Number of job adverts as at September 2017 Full time equivalentMedical and DentalNursing and Midwifery RegisteredBrighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust35113Source: NHS Digital Vacancy StatisticsNHS Improvement collects monthly vacancy rate information since April 2017 with no historic information prior to this point. The collection includes a total medical vacancy figure but is not disaggregated to junior or consultant level and is not available at trust level.The Trust’s Board published January 2018 Combined Board in Public papers which provide the following statement on vacancies in the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust:“The Trust Establishment stands at 8210.7 WTE. There are 7334.7 WTE staff in post which equates to a vacancy rate of 10.7%. Of the 876 WTE vacancies; 343 WTE are Nursing and Midwifery, 178 WTE are Admin & Clerical, 149 WTE are Scientific, therapeutic and technical staff (ST&T), 126 WTE are Ancillary Support and 80 are Medical. The highest vacancy rate is within Ancillary Support (18.6%)”.

Department for International Development

Brazil: Overseas Aid

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the Department for International Development's spendingin the last financial year was in Brazil.

lord bates: Since 2010 DFID has not provided any direct bilateral official development assistance (ODA) to Brazil. CDC made four equity investments in private companies in Brazil prior to 2012. The Newton Fund, the Global Challenge Research Fund and the International Climate Fund have funded projects in Brazil.

Ministry of Justice

Eastwood Park Prison: Mother and Baby Units

baroness corston: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the Mother and Baby Unit at Eastwood Park Prison was closed.

baroness corston: To ask Her Majesty's Government when it is anticipated that the Mother and Baby Unit at Eastwood Park Prison will re-open.

lord keen of elie: The mother and baby unit (MBU) at Eastwood Park has been out of commission since October 2016, owing to flooding caused by a burst pipe. We are planning to complete refurbishment by May, with re-occupation in late June/early July. While the MBU remains out of use, any women at the prison whose application for a MBU place is accepted can be accommodated in one of the other five units within the women’s prison estate. We are committed to doing all we can to address the issues around female offending so we can better protect the public and deliver more effective rehabilitation.

Reparation by Offenders

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Keen of Elie on 22 February, whether they will actively promote the practice of restorative justice for all levels of crime.

lord keen of elie: The Government supports the provision of good quality, victim focussed restorative justice to help victims cope and recover from the effects of crime. We have made progress against the Ministry of Justice’s current Action Plan on Restorative Justice, published last year. This plan sets out the measures we are taking to raise awareness of restorative justice and seeks to allow victims of crime access to quality restorative justice services no matter the crime committed against them or where they live in England and Wales. With rigorous risk assessment and ongoing safeguarding in place, restorative justice carried out by experienced and skilled practitioners, can benefit victims’ recovery. Legislation provides for courts to defer sentence to allow restorative activities to take place, and in other circumstances to form part of a community sentence as a restorative justice requirement. In all instances, this may only be imposed where all parties involved in the activity consent and where the activity provides opportunity for the victim to have their say. We are clear however, that restorative justice should be used alongside formal criminal justice processes, and not as a substitute to a criminal justice system response.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Right to Buy Scheme

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards removing barriers to the replacement of homes sold under Right to Buy.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is keen to understand if more can be done to encourage faster delivery of Right to Buy replacements and has been engaging with local authorities to obtain their views, which will be fed into our assessment.

Building Regulations

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 24 March 2016 (HL7094), when the next biennial review will be published; and why there has been a 12-month delay in publication for the review which was scheduled to have been published in early 2017.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is working to publish shortly the next biennial report under the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

Ministry of Defence

Army Reserve: Recruitment

lord de mauley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the Defence Recruiting System to be able to process enlistments to the Army Reserve.

earl howe: The Defence Recruiting System (DRS) went live on 13 November and replaced a 20 year old system. It will enable a quicker and easier recruitment process for applicants and the Armed Forces.As with any new information system defects have been identified post 'Go Live' and we recognise that for a couple of months these created some problems with the application process, including particular issues regarding the enlistment of new Army Reserves.These issues have been urgently addressed and are either fixed or have temporary mitigations in place to minimise applicant facing issues. With these mitigations DRS is now processing enlistments to the Army Reserve.

Armed Forces: Health

lord richards of herstmonceux: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 12 February (HL5176), what are the figures for the Medical Deployability Standard categories for (1) the army, (2) the Royal Navy, and (3) the Royal Air Force.

earl howe: There are three Medical Deployability Standard (MDS) categories for the Armed Forces. Medically Fully Deployable (MFD) personnel are those medically fit for duty with no employment limitations. Medically Limited Deployable (MLD) personnel are medically fit for duty with minor employment limitations. MLD personnel may have a medical condition or functional limitation that prevents the meeting of all MFD requirements. Medically Not Deployable (MND) personnel are medically fit for duty with major employment limitations. MND personnel are not currently deployable on Operations but may be deployable on UK based exercises and should be able to work effectively for at least 32.5 hours per week. MND status, as with other MDS categories, is often only temporary due to injury or illness, and may change following medical review. The table below provides the number and percentage of UK Regular Armed Forces personnel by permanent and temporary MDS category, by Service, as at 1 January 2018.  All ServicesNaval ServiceArmyRAFNo%No%No%No%All Personnel137,263 29,264 77,467 30,532 Medically Fully Deployable110,15480.3%24,45883.6%60,39678.0%25,30082.9%Medically Limited Deployable13,96710.2%2,0717.1%9,97212.9%1,9246.3%Temporary4,3293.2%5221.8%3,0363.9%7712.5%Permanent9,5226.9%1,5065.1%6,9028.9%1,1143.6%Medically Not Deployable13,1049.5%2,7179.3%7,0829.1%3,30510.8%  Temporary10,2847.5%2,1897.5%5,3246.9%2,7719.1%Permanent2,7202.0%5051.7%1,7332.2%4821.6% Naval Service includes Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Please note that some of the total figures may be greater than the sum of their parts. This is because data on the temporary or permanent Medical Deployability Standard status of some personnel was not available.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Farms: Fly Tipping

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to tackle the dumping of waste on farmland.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is committed to tackling fly-tipping in rural and urban areas. Local authorities and the Environment Agency (EA) have a wide range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping and we have recently strengthened these. In 2016 we gave local authorities the power to issue fixed penalty notices for small scale fly-tipping and enhanced the local authorities and EA’s ability to search and seize the vehicles of suspected fly-tippers. We have also worked with the Sentencing Council to strengthen the Sentencing Guideline for environmental offences. The maximum penalties for fly-tipping are imprisonment of up to five years or a potentially unlimited fine. We are currently consulting on proposals to introduce a new fixed penalty notice of up to £400 for householders who fail in their duty of care and whose waste is fly-tipped. As two-thirds of fly-tipped waste originates from households, the introduction of this penalty along with educational awareness for individuals will help reduce fly-tipping on public and private land.

Agriculture: Vacancies

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address concerns about a shortage of labour on British farms.

lord gardiner of kimble: Access to a sufficient and appropriately-skilled workforce is essential to continued industry growth, productivity and safety. Defra considers the latest data, and works closely with industry to understand labour demand and supply including on the seasonal workforce.Until we have left the EU, employers in the agricultural and food processing sectors can continue to recruit EU workers to meet their labour needs.The Government is already taking action through our apprenticeship programme, post-16 Skills Plan to reform technical education and new Careers Strategy. We want industry to make the most of this framework to attract more domestic workers and ensure that agri-food is a career destination of choice.The Government has also commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to assess the role that EU citizens play in the UK economy and society, and how to align future immigration framework with modern industrial strategy.

Common Agricultural Policy

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the quantity of products they have bought under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy; and how they plan to manage those products following Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) public intervention system allows operators to request that a Member State buys certain agricultural products such as skimmed milk powder (SMP) into public storage. Such stocks are subsequently resold when market prices recover. With the greater market orientation of the CAP, public intervention now operates as a safety net measure that is only relevant when prices are very low, as occurred during the “milk crisis” of 2015/16 when large quantities of SMP were bought into public intervention in the EU. As at 22 February 2018, the UK held 7,731.85 tonnes of skimmed milk powder in public intervention stores, equivalent to around 2% of total EU purchases. The European Commission is currently reselling the older public stocks of skimmed milk powder back onto the domestic market. The pace of these sales will depend on a number of factors, including the market price, the competitiveness of the bids and the quantities bid for. Looking forward, it is still to be determined what will happen to any intervention stocks held by the UK that remain unsold once we leave the EU. This will be subject to discussions as part of the withdrawal agreement and on any implementation period. There are no other products held in public storage in the UK under CAP measures.

Cabinet Office

Emergencies: Planning

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when theirPreparing for Emergenciesguidance was last updated.

lord young of cookham: The Preparing for Emergencies guidance, as published on gov.uk, was last updated on 6 April 2016. It can be found here; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-emergencies/preparing-for-emergencies

Emergencies: Planning

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they raise public awareness of the advice contained in theirPreparing for Emergenciesguidance.

lord young of cookham: National campaigns are run as appropriate to inform the public about preparing themselves, their businesses and their communities for risks, such as the annual Get Ready for Winter campaign, which uses both online and print mediums to inform the public about winter-related risks.Local responders have a duty to communicate risk to the public under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), and do so via Community Risk Registers and local campaigns. Government supports the development of Community Risk Registers (and public awareness more generally) via the publication of the bi-annual National Risk Register, which provides a UK-wide resource for local responders to draw on for up-to-date resilience and scientific information.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: USA

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are being lobbied in respect of any future UK–US trade deal.

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regard to lobbying in relation to any future UK–US trade deal, whether they will disclose (1) the names of all those lobbying Her Majesty's Government, (2) the form and timing of such lobbying, and (3) the subjects covered by those lobbyists.

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have been subject to lobbying to open the NHS market to United States firms as part of any future UK–US trade deals.

baroness fairhead: As outlined in the Trade White Paper, ‘Preparing for our Future UK Trade Policy’, the UK is committed to a transparent approach to international trade. We have invited views on the UK’s approach to future trade agreements, including our future trade relationship with the US, and engagement with stakeholders is ongoing as they continue to feed into our policy development. The Government has been clear that protecting the NHS is of the utmost importance. Nothing in our future trade agreements, including with the US, will prevent the UK from regulating in the pursuit of legitimate public policy objectives such as the NHS. As we leave the EU, the UK will continue to ensure that rigorous protections for the NHS are included in all trade agreements it is party to.

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission in addressing the gender pay gap.

baroness williams of trafford: For the first time, all employers with 250 or more employees are required to publish their gender pay gap before 4 April 2018. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has powers to enforce compliance with this requirement. The EHRC has published a policy paper on its intended approach to enforcement here https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/closing-gap-enforcing-gender-pay-gap-regulations.More generally, the EHRC's 2017-18 Business Plan commits it to working with employers to demonstrate how changes to recruitment, retention, pay decisions and career pipelines can narrow pay gaps.